


Calamity

by Certshot



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Criticism, Dystopia, Other, Short, Short One Shot, Writing Exercise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:22:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27205868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Certshot/pseuds/Certshot
Summary: A short story about a mans life in a broken America.This is my first story back after a year or so of retirement. If you could give me any pointers on my writing, I would absolutely appreciate it. Thank you for reading this, and I hope this is the restart of my writing career. If I do well on this, then you'll notice i have a Life is Strange fanfic on this account, and maybe I'll continue it. But for now I need to improve my writing and get that drive back.
Kudos: 2





	Calamity

Third day. No water. Of course bandits had stolen it, but this drought has ended plant life around him. Filthy river water would have to suffice. As if rain water was any cleaner. He grabbed his bucket, walking out the back of his traumatized house. Bullet holes riddled the fence, however to him they were only mild annoyances. Dead grass crunched under his feet as he made his way to the brown water. Even fishing didn’t bring much. They came in schools, meaning he had one chance per day to catch a day's supply of food. When he had gone to the local market last week, he had overheard someone talking about how the fish had swam to another river. Of course he could walk over there, but he lived on the opposite side of the town. 

The dangerous crossing between even streets was astounding. He’d always notice someone eyeing him. Maybe it was anxiety. Maybe it was true. Just the month before, he was robbed at gunpoint for everything he had. That’s how the water got turned off. He had a perfect description of the robbers, and all the officer told him when he walked into the station was that they’ll look into it. Seems like they never did.

He raised a hand to flick his greasy hair out of his view. Harsh wind blew it back into his face. “At least I won’t have to wait for the water to cool down at night.” He had developed a system for the past week. He would go out at dawn, collecting several buckets of water. Then came the boiling. There was a bent soup pot that his brother gifted him before the Calamity hit. Last time he saw him before he was deployed. After the boiling, he would cover the water up with a towel. When the nighttime came, it would hopefully come to a cool temperature in the morning, in which he would bring it back and put the water into small metal bottles. 

Today, he was lucky enough to catch two days worth of fish. They were tainted with the nearly toxic river water, but nothing his stomach couldn’t handle. More specifically, they were crappies. Before 2023, they couldn’t have survived the pollution. But they have been living in it for ten years now. They better adapt to survive. And human’s stomachs have somewhat adapted to eating less than clean food. So have the wildlife around his house. 

When the Calamity hit, aquatic populations were devastated. President Lombard began several oil mining companies, but one unfortunately toppled over, spilling millions of gallons into the sea. As a result, the water in the United States of America was ruined. Not only that, he was greedy, always in search of money. He passed a law that allowed for the hunting of exotic animals with strict licenses. All of this made worse with the rise of climate change. The forests were being cut down, meaning more carbon dioxide was in the air. Pollutants from factories were doubled with the climate rising. The world was in shambles. 

“Maybe today is when they announce the restoration of the country.” Another batch of fish thrown into a sack he brought along.  
Everyday was the same occurrence. Collect water, collect fish if he came at the right time, and then cook at night. Maybe in the next decade everything will be back to normal. Humanity had gone through the Great Depression. However, they didn’t create the amount of pollution that today has. But everyone is hoping. Praying. For a future that may be too forlorn.


End file.
